1. Field of the Invention
This invention is for a flexible shield mountable on the rump of a user's body for sliding down a hill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In descending from a mountain, hikers frequently slide and fall on their hindquarters or rumps, sometimes incurring bruises and abrasions or damage to their clothing from sliding contact with soil and stones. When hiking down snow or ice covered areas, hikers may sometimes wish to do a controlled slide in a seated position as possibly the safest and fastest method of descent. It is, therefore, desirable for the hiker to have a shield having a smooth surface for sliding that can be mounted on his rump to protect him from bruises and abrasions while descending from a mountain. As the hiker will usually have a knapsack mounted on his back and may have to cope with difficult terrain, it is important that the shield be small and light in weight; that it leave his hands free and not interfere with the movement of his arms and legs; that, when in use, it be attached to the hiker's body so that there is no chance it may slip out from underneath him and precede him down the mountain; and that it require a minimum of attention from him so as not to distract him from concentrating on his descent, i.e, the hiker should not need to stop and mount the shield every time he desires to slide, and then have to dismount it when he desires to resume walking.
In the prior art, light weight coasting devices and sleds were well known. For instance, A. G. Erickson described a light weight, saucer-shaped coasting device for sliding on ice or snow in the seated position. U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,424 (Mar. 11, 1958; Class 280-12). While Ericson's device would serve the purpose of protecting the user's rump from bruises and abrasions, it does not suit the hiker as it is designed to be carried by hand. Likewise unsuitable are the combination back pack and pack sled disclosed by Melvin K. Knabenbauer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,849 (Sept. 26, 1972; Class 224/9, 224/25A, 280/18, 280/20), the combination packboard and sled disclosed by J. A. Fanelli, U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,996 (Feb. 2, 1954), and the combined seat and sled assembly disclosed by B. M. Zurowski, U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,313 (Oct. 27, 1964; Class 280-18), as they must be dismounted from their users' backs each time they wish to use them as sleds.
Of course, body protecting shields are also well known in the prior art. See, for instance, the body protecting shield disclosed by M. M. McDonald, U.S. Pat. No. 2,471,071 (May 24, 1949; Class 2/2.5) and the personal armor for an individual wearing a safety helmet disclosed by Roger Owen Durham, U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,439 (Oct. 10, 1972; Class 2/2.5, 128/90). Although these are capable of protecting the user's rump from harm from impacts, they are not designed for sliding in a seated position. For example, in the case of McDonald's shield, which has left and right leg protecting portions and an intermediate portion inserted in horizontal slots, even if it were made of a suitably flexible and light weight material, it would fail to give the desired protection: during sliding motion, the leg and intermediate portions would tend to be displaced upwards through the slots leaving the hiker's rump exposed.